FreeChoiceID Offers Open, Interoperable Fingerprint Authentication, and Puts the User in Complete Control of Their Own Biometric Data

WALL, NJ--(Marketwired - Oct 7, 2013) - BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCBB: BKYI), a global leader in fingerprint biometric identification solutions, advanced mobile authentication and identity assurance technologies, today announced FreeChoiceID, an entirely new approach to mobile biometric authentication privacy. FreeChoiceID allows BIO-key integrations to accommodate and expand on the concepts embodied in mobile biometric platforms such as the Touch ID™ capabilities of the newly released Apple® iPhone® 5S, while simplifying development of biometric-enabled applications which need to operate across the many and varied device-centric biometric subsystems that will shortly arrive in the marketplace.

"The time has come for ubiquitous fingerprint biometric authentication," stated Michael DePasquale, BIO-key CEO. "Apple's Touch ID system and other soon-to-be-introduced finger biometric device offerings will lead to an unprecedented increase in awareness of the effortless security and convenience afforded by fingerprint authentication, something our customers and partners have already achieved with BIO-key's WEB-key platform. With the release of this new FreeChoiceID module for WEB-key, BIO-key will allow greater flexibility in where and how fingerprint template data is stored, as well as where and how matching occurs -- on the device -- using BIO-key's or another available biometric matching subsystem, or in the cloud -- on secured servers at an enterprise's or service provider's data center. Regardless of the model employed, a BIO-key integrated application can authenticate any user, regardless of the device or subsystem used, or where the biometric data resides."

BIO-key's existing biometric solutions are available for direct ISV integration, in combination with industry leading IAM platforms with the ID Director suite of products, as well as via open authentication protocols. ISVs may integrate BIO-key's modules directly into their applications for distribution as an OEM component. ID Director melds BIO-key authentication into partner enterprise credentialing systems such as IBM ESSO and ISAM, Computer Associates SiteMinder, Caradigm, Allscripts, and EPIC. Lastly, BIO-key will support open authentication standards such as OpenID, SAML 2.0, and FIDO to allow rapid integration of this technology into existing enterprise and cloud services, as well as allowing alternative authentication options.

FreeChoiceID leverages BIO-key's patents on the use of trusted computing environments such as TrustZone™ in storing biometric and related key data, and BIO-key's patented secure transport of biometric and secondary form-factor user authentication data between devices and across public or private networks. Expanding upon BIO-key's patented WEB-key platform, FreeChoiceID ensures consumer and enterprise user authentication data is secured as it is moved between a device and cloud-based services, and that data is properly protected when it is used by WEB-key.

The breakthrough and patent pending feature of the FreeChoiceID module is the option to give users unprecedented control over the privacy of their own biometric data. They can control where it is stored, in what form, and which applications have access to it, enforcing that control through a unique remote encryption process that places the source of the biometric, not the recipient of it, in control of its ongoing use. For years, users have had to trust that those receiving their sensitive data for one purpose would not allow its use for another. It is a market reality that privacy policies change and databases are compromised. It is not enough to rely on privacy policies -- the user should be put back in charge of their data, and the advent of smartphones makes that possible. FreeChoiceID places each person's record encryption key, or even the biometric data and matching process itself, under their own control, securely stored and executed in their own personal device or devices.

Using the BIO-key FreeChoiceID mobile application, users of a BIO-key integrated application can approve or deny each access to their biometric data by any BIO-key application even when it is stored on a server in a public or private cloud -- leaving them in control and aware of how it is accessed and when, regardless of privacy policies, which are routinely bypassed by hacker and insider breaches, as well as "back door" access to these systems. Users can specify different policies for their data on different sites. Both the relying application and the user will know where the authentication is taking place, allowing applications to apply risk-aware policies based on the nature and security of the match performed. Providing users this control will also allow BIO-key enabled enterprises to more easily comply with the variety of privacy laws affecting retention of biometrics, without the overhead of having to manually manage compliance for FreeChoiceID enabled users. FreeChoiceID puts the user in charge of their own biometric data, so informed consent for continued retention and compliance with removal requests is implicit.

"BIO-key already has a strong track record in providing convenient and highly accurate authentication solutions, which operate across dozens of fingerprint scanners, is already integrated with major enterprise and federated IAM solutions, and runs on all major device OS platforms," said Jim Sullivan, BIO-key's Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. "Our customers tell us that one size does not fit all when it comes to mobile biometric authentication -- using servers allows for the important capabilities of in-person identification without any device, auditing and logging for non-repudiation, consistent authentication across many devices without re-enrolling, and duplicate record detection. On-device matching allows local applications to authenticate without a network, and allows users to keep their biometric data in their own possession. We want to accommodate all needs in this dynamic marketplace, and FreeChoiceID is a natural evolution of our vision. With the introduction of fingerprint authentication on mobile devices such as Apple's Touch ID, our customers want to incorporate those on-device authentication modules into an overall fingerprint biometric ecosystem which spans mobile, laptop, as well as face-to-face authentication scenarios. Consistent with this vision, we plan to allow users with accessible on-device biometric subsystems to associate them with their WEB-key cloud-based identity, and then conduct authentication via WEB-key, using the local subsystem on their device. As new accessible biometric authentication modules enter the market, we will incorporate them into this ecosystem as well. A single integration with BIO-key will leverage all available possibilities."

About BIO-keyBIO-key International, Inc., headquartered in Wall, New Jersey, develops and delivers advanced identification solutions to commercial and government enterprises, integrators, and custom application developers. BIO-key's award winning, high performance, scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy biometric finger identification technology accurately identifies and authenticates users of wireless and enterprise applications. Our solutions are used in local embedded OEM products as well as some of the world's largest identification deployments to improve security, guarantee identity, and help reduce identity theft. BIO-key's technology is offered directly or by market leading partners around the world. (http://www.bio-key.com)

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